insideKENT Magazine Issue 35 - February 2015 | Page 139

The Peugeot 108 was jointly developed, as was
its predecessor, with Citroen and Toyota – a
philosophy that has proven successful with other
cars, and clearly works in this instance as well.
Drawing from the best bits of all three motor
engineering companies, the result is a striking
looking car that performs magnificently.
There's no denying that with its curvy bodywork,
sporty wheels, and trim, the 108 is a great looking
car. Our test model was even more of a looker,
thanks to its top-spec Purple Berry Roof and
dazzling Diamond White paint job. Sitting on four
magnificent 15" Thorren alloy wheels, and
boasting eye-catching chrome door handles and
mirrors, the 108 looks more than ready for some
atypical Peugeot driving fun.
Once inside, having appreciated the very cool
Open-and-Go keyless entry system, you're
treated to a sporty, yet comfortable cockpit
decked out in stylish black Rayura cloth, with a
leather steering wheel and gear knob. The 108
cranks the previous generation's sporty dash up

a few notches, providing an LCD display panel
(which also shows the view from the reversing
camera); a digital rev counter; DAB radio, and
the rest of the generous gadgetry trimmings you'd
expect to find on a bigger, more expensive car.

get from 0-62mph in 11 seconds, and gives it a
top speed of 108mph. Still, the 108 is very
economical and clean, managing a combined
consumption of 65.7mpg and emissions of
99g/km.

And then, once you've finished gazing fondly
at the prettiness of the car, it's time to press the
ignition button, feel the reassuring throb of the
engine kicking in, and try out the 108 on
the road.

As the motoring writer for insideKENT, it's fair to
assume it wouldn't look great if I damaged one
of the cars I was testing. So understandably
perhaps, when I try out a car I've never driven
before, I like to ease myself in gently. Empty
straight roads in the middle of nowhere aid this,
and give me a chance to get to know the car
before encountering too many other road users.

Peugeot has taken the reins in order to develop
its own 1.2-litre, three-cylinder normal aspirated
PureTech engine for the 108, where previously
with the 107, Toyota was in charge of the power
department, and came up with what is a pretty
fine 1.0-litre effort – an option that is still available
if you opt for the smaller engine 108. This new
Peugeot engine takes the horsepower from 67bhp
(for the 1.0-litre) up to 81bhp, and more
significantly gives the car a considerable increase
in torque (86lb ft at 2750rpm, instead of 76lb ft).
It also allows this splendidly whizzy little car to

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Margate and its busy, bustling (and at times,
baffling) urban one-way systems, however, did
not afford me this luxury. I had to pretty much hit
the ground running. Or rather, hit the ground
driving.
So all credit to the 108; from the moment I sat
in the driver's seat and fired up the key-less
ignition, I felt at home in what seemed a